Hot-water tank



April 20 1926. LSQTSW E. T. BARR QN not WATER it llh t! Iii h BYMK ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 20, 1926.

UNITED STATES tsetse? PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD T. BARRON, OF SUPERIOR, WISCONSIN.

HGT-WATER TANK.

Application filed January 7, 1924.. Serial No. 684,919.

hot water tanks of the type with which a heating coil is adapted to be associated, and

it consists in the comliinations, constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of the invention .is to provide a tank of the character described which has means for retarding convection so that the water in the upper part thereof may be heated in a relatively short time and if not drawn from'the tank for use will remain in heated condition for a relatively long time.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tank of the character described whichis constructed in such manner as to preclude the possibility that air may be entrapped therein during the circulation of water therethrough.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description c011- sidered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a tank embodying the invention in association with a heating coil, a supply pipe therefor, and a delivery pipe leading therefrom, a portion of the shell of the tank being broken away to disclose the parts therewithin, and

Figure 2 is a section along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

A tank embodying my invention in the form now preferred by me comprises a ertically disposed elongated shell 1 closed at its upper end by a top plate 2 and at its lower end by a bottom plate 3, the lattor being disposed upon a base 4 which may be secured to a floor 5 by a bolted or like securing devices. The bottom plate 3 is provided with an inlet 7 which is adapted for connection with a supply pipe 8 leading from any suitable source of watersupply. The top plate 2 preferably is concavo-convex, the convex face thereof being uppermost. This top plate is provided with.

a central outlet 9 adapted for connection with a delivery pipe 10.

.The space within the shell 1 is divided by a plurality of vertically spaced transverse partition plates 11 into a plurality of vertically spaced compartments, each of which has communicatim with the compart ment next therebelow through an ooening 12 in the partition 11 which constitutes the bottom of that compartment. Each opening 1-2 is of relatively little area, and the openlugs 12 of the respective partition plates 11 are staggered or in other words are disposed out of vertical alignment in respect to one another.

The shell ,1 is provided with a lateral pipe through a lateral pipe connection 16 with a pipe 17 which is connected with the lower end of the heating coil 15.

The delivery pipe 10 includes a section 18 which extends vertically from the upper end of the tank and is joined at its upper end to a horizontal section 19 which in turn is joined to a depending section 20. The latter is connected with a faucet 21 or like device through which water may be discharged, the faucet thus being located at a level lower than that of the upper end of the tank although such positioning of the faucet is not essential to theetficient operation of the tanln as will be understood from the following} i The operation of the device is substantially as follows: Water passes through the supply pipe 8 into the lowermost compartment of the tank and thence upwardly through the heating coil 15 and also through the opening 12 of the adjacent partition plate 11 into the compartment next above the lowermost compartment. The heating coil 15 may be heated in any suitable known manner as by being located within a furthe uppermost of the compartments within the tank. The partitions 11 will act as bafitles to retard convection and, therefore, the water within the uppermost of the compartments may be relatively hot while the water within the lower compartments will be much cooler. In consequence, the water within the upper compartment may be heated to a desired extent in a relatively short time, thus effecting an economy in the use of fuel to heat a given quantity of water. Should the heated water within the uppermost compartment within the tank not be drawn from the tank for use. such water will retain its heat for a relatively long time since the baffles, 11 will tend to prevent the mingling of this heated water with the cooler water in the compartments below.

Another important feature of the invention is the provision of the outlet at the extreme upper end of the tank so that air will not be entrapped within the tank, even though the faucet or discharge elementthrough which the delivery pipe discharges be located above the level of the connection between the tank and the delivery pipe.

Obviously, my invention is susceptible of embodiment in forms other than that illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and 1, therefore, consider as my own all modifications and adaptations thereof which fairly fall within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A tank of the character described comprising a vertically disposed shell closed at its upper and lower ends, a plurality of vertically spaced transverse partitions disposed within said shell, each of said partitions having a relatively Small opening formed therethrough, said openings being out of vertical alignment with one another, means whereby a liquid may be supplied to the space within said tank below the lower most of said partitions, a delivery pipe communicating with the tank at the highest part thereof, a heating coil, means whereby communication may be established between the space within said tank below the lowermost of said partitions and one end of said heating coil, and means whereby the space within said tank above the uppermost of said partitions may be connected with the opposite end of said heating coil, said heating coil and the connections between the heating coil and said tank being completely disposed between the levels of the upper and lower ends of said tank.

EDWVARD T. BARRON. 

